Anthurium plant named ‘ANTHENAXEN’

ABSTRACT

A new Anthurium plant named ‘ANTHENAXEN’ particularly distinguished by having small, shiny and blistered, wavy, deep red, orbicular cordate and very durable spathes that retain the original color for a very long time, dark green, broad deltoid leaves, white spadices with yellow tips, early and rich flowering continuously throughout the year, and a plant height of 15.0 cm to 20.0 cm is disclosed.

Genus and species: Anthurium andraeanum L.

Variety denomination: ‘ANTHENAXEN’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct variety of Anthurium, botanically known as Anthurium andraeanum L., and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘ANTHENAXEN’. The new Anthurium plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor in Bleiswijk, the Netherlands. The objective of this breeding program was to create a new 15.0 cm to 20.0 cm height plant with small, shiny and blistered, wavy, deep red, orbicular cordate and very durable spathes.

The new variety originated from a cross-pollination made in July 2007 in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands. The female parent was a red Anthurium pot plant designated ‘6440-04’ (unpatented), and the male parent was an orange Anthurium pot plant designated ‘11283-07’ (unpatented).

A single plant was selected from the progeny of the stated cross in April 2009 and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by tissue culture in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands over an 8-year period. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this variety have been applied for in the European Union on Nov. 27, 2017. ‘ANTHENAXEN’ has not been made publicly available or sold anywhere in the world more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new variety when grown under normal horticultural practices in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands:

-   -   1) Small, shiny and blistered, wavy, deep red, orbicular cordate         spathes;     -   2) White spadices with yellow tips; and     -   3) Green, broad deltoid leaves.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Anthurium plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the overall plant habit including blooms and foliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photographs are of a 28-week old plant grown in a greenhouse in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands in May 2018. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the actual colors of the new variety.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit, including blooms and foliage.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the mature spathe.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the upper leaf blade surface.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘ANTHENAXEN’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 28-week old plants which were planted from tissue culture in 9 centimeter (diameter) pots and grown in a glass greenhouse between 19° C. and 24° C. Observations were made in May 2018. Color readings were taken under 5000 lux natural light in the greenhouse. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.) (2015).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Araceae.         -   Botanical.—Anthurium andraeanum L.         -   Common name.—Anthurium.         -   Denomination.—‘ANTHENAXEN’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Anthurium plant ‘6440-04’ (unpatented).         -   Male parent.—Anthurium plant ‘11283-07’ (unpatented). -   Plant:     -   -   Propagation.—Tissue culture.         -   Root description.—Fleshy creamy-pinkish colored roots with             small hairy lateral roots having small yellow colored root             tips.         -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—28 to 30 weeks             after planting in a 9 cm (diameter) pot.         -   Growth habit.—Upright.         -   Height (measured from soil, including inflorescence).—15.0             cm to 20.0 cm.         -   Width (measured from leaf tips).—22.0 cm to 25.0 cm. -   Leaves:     -   -   Immature leaves.—Length: 7.0 cm to 9.0 cm. Width: 5.0 cm to             6.0 cm. Color: Upper surface: RHS 146B. Lower surface: RHS             146C. Texture (both upper and lower surfaces): Shiny.         -   Mature leaves.—Length (fully expanded): 9.0 cm to 11.0 cm.             Width: 6.5 cm to 7.5 cm. Shape: Broad deltoid. Apex:             Acuminate. Base: Cordate. Leaf blade angle with the petiole:             Between 90 degrees and 110 degrees. Leaf margin: Entire.             Color: Upper surface: RHS 146A. Lower surface: RHS 146B.             Texture (lower surface): Shiny, leathery and thick.             Venation: Pinnate veining; the mid-vein and primary veins             (the veins that radiate out from the junction of petiole and             leaf) protrude at the underside of the leaf blade. Venation             color: Upper surface: RHS 144A. Lower surface: RHS 144B.         -   Lobes.—Present. Arrangement: Leaf blade has two small lobes             extending past the petiole. The lobes are non-touching.             Length of lobes of mature leaf blades: 0.2 cm to 0.7 cm.             Width of lobes of mature leaf blades: 2.0 cm to 3.0 cm.             Distance from petiole/leaf junction to highest point on             lobes of mature leaf: 1.0 cm to 2.0 cm.         -   Petiole.—Cross-section: Round. Diameter: 0.1 cm to 0.2 cm.             Length: 6.0 cm to 9.0 cm for a mature leaf size. Color:             Mature leaf: RHS 144A. Immature leaf: RHS 144B. Cataphyll             color surrounding the petiole: Outside: RHS 144B. Inside:             RHS 145C.         -   Geniculum.—Length: 1.0 cm to 1.5 cm. Width: 0.2 cm to             0.3 cm. Color: RHS 144B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Arrangement.—Single.         -   Flowering habit (length of flowering season).—Continuous.         -   Number of inflorescences per plant.—6 to 8.         -   Fragrance.—Absent.         -   Longevity of inflorescence on plant.—Over a year. -   Spathe:     -   -   Buds.—The spathe is tightly rolled around the spadix and             extrudes from the peduncle sheath. After the spathe is fully             open, the peduncle elongates some extra centimeters (1.0 cm             to 2.0 cm).         -   Arrangement.—Spathe angle with the peduncle is between 80             degrees and 100 degrees; the spathe stands on a wiry             peduncle about 3.0 cm to 6.0 cm above the foliage.         -   Shape.—Orbicular cordate.         -   Apex.—Mucronate.         -   Base.—Ovate to slightly cordate.         -   Texture.—Shiny and blistered.         -   Margin.—Undulated.         -   Size.—Length: 5.0 cm to 6.0 cm. Width: 5.7 cm to 6.2 cm.         -   Lobes.—Present.         -   Arrangement.—The spathe has two small lobes extending past             the peduncle. The lobes are non-touching. Length: 0.2 cm to             0.5 cm. Width: 1.5 cm to 2.0 cm.         -   Color.—Just fully open: Upper surface: RHS 46A. Lower             surface: RHS 47A. This red color remains for a very long             period, at least more than 30 weeks after opening. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Shape.—Erect.         -   Cross-section.—Round.         -   Length.—11.0 cm to 14.0 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.2 cm to 0.3 cm.         -   Color.—RHS 144B. -   Flowering time:     -   -   General.—One small, rooted, untreated tissue culture plant             of 8.0 cm tall will flower, depending on the season, after             28 to 30 weeks and 6 to 7 blossoms appear. More blossoms             appear after some additional weeks so that a full flowering             and commercial plant will have 7 to 8 red spathes. Smaller             blossoms may occur on immature plants. -   Spadix:     -   -   Size.—Length: 1.5 cm to 2.0 cm (depending on flower size).             Width (at apex): 0.3 cm to 0.4 cm. Width (at base): 0.4 cm             to 0.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Columnar.         -   Angle from spadix tip to peduncle.—150 degrees to 170             degrees.         -   Texture.—When the spathe is unfurling the spadix is smooth.             When the spadix matures, small stigmata protrude. The             stigmata are evenly distributed around the spadix. The             spadix matures from base to top, slowly giving the spadix a             somewhat rough appearance.         -   Color.—Immature: RHS 15A. Mature: RHS NN155A. Ages to: RHS             153C. -   Flowers:     -   -   Quantity per spadix.—20 to 40.         -   Spadix flower arrangement.—Bisexual, rounded in             cross-section.         -   Shape.—Rounded.         -   Size.—Length: 0.05 cm to 0.10 cm. Diameter (maximum): 0.10             cm.         -   Color.—RHS 156D. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamens.—Not visible.         -   Pollen amount.—Absent.         -   Pistil.—Quantity: 20 to 40. Length: Less than 0.01 cm.             Color: RHS 156D.         -   Style.—Not observed to date.         -   Stigma.—Shape: Ovoid. Diameter: Less than 0.01 cm. Color:             RHS 156D.         -   Ovary.—Rarely visible.         -   Ovary color.—Not measured. -   Fruit and seed set: None observed to date.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL VARIETIES

‘ANTHENAXEN’ differs from the female parent plant ‘6440-04’ (unpatented) in that ‘ANTHENAXEN’ has broad deltoid leaves, whereas ‘6440-04’ has narrow long cordate leaves.

‘ANTHENAXEN’ differs from the male parent plant ‘11283-07’ (unpatented) in that ‘ANTHENAXEN’ has orbicular cordate, red spathes and a flower color of RHS 156D, whereas ‘11283-07’ has oblong cordate, orange spathes and a flower color of RHS 49D .

‘ANTHENAXEN’ differs from similar commercial variety ‘ANTHEOZO’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,916) in that ‘ANTHENAXEN’ has broad deltoid leaves and a mucronate spathe apex, whereas ‘ANTHEOZO’ has ovate cordate leaves and a broad acuminate spathe apex. Additionally, ‘ANTHENAXEN’ has fewer flowers per spadix than ‘ANTHEOZO’.

‘ANTHENAXEN’ differs from similar commercial variety ‘ANTHERBI’ (U.S. Plant Pat No. 28,241) in that ‘ANTHENAXEN’ has broad deltoid leaves and an outer cataphyll color of RHS 144B, whereas ‘ANTHERBI’ has elliptical cordate leaves and an outer cataphyll color of RHS 145A and RHS 181B toward the apex. Additionally, ‘ANTHENAXEN’ has fewer flowers per spadix than ‘ANTHERBI’. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Anthurium plant named ‘ANTHENAXEN’, substantially as illustrated and described herein. 